Benefits of Adding a Parking Shuttle Service to Your Hospital
For a busy hospital, whether it’s in a city center or a rural location, traffic flow, parking and the transport of patients, visitors and staff are key concerns. A large hospital may have a sprawling campus with multiple buildings and parking lots. Even a smaller hospital may experience traffic bottlenecks, especially if there are limited medical facilities in the region. Patients, in addition to visitors and staff, may have mobility issues. And patient satisfaction continues to be of great concern.
The Benefits of a Hospital Parking Shuttle Service
Adding a parking shuttle service to your hospital’s parking and transportation options has many benefits for patients, visitors and staff as well as hospital administration.
- Creates more available parking for patients and guests by moving employees to off-site lots and encourages people to park off-site.
- Reduces the burden of walking from parking areas and between hospital buildings. This is extremely important for those with mobility issues, especially if handicapped parking spaces are limited.
- Improves appointment timeliness and patient/traffic flow.
- Enhances patient satisfaction, as well as employee satisfaction.
- Eases traffic around hospitals located in city centers and busy suburban areas.
- Hospital can control where people park by strategic placement of shuttle buses.
- Allows hospitals greater flexibility in where parking garages are located.
- Increases safety, since it reduces traffic in the hospital’s immediate vicinity; clears roads for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
- Creates reliable service, with shuttle personnel monitoring parking lots for passengers.
- Promotes a healing, caring environment.
How Big Should a Hospital Be to Employ a Shuttle Service?
Any size facility can benefit from having a shuttle service. For a large hospital, the reason to provide a shuttle service is obvious, as they may have buildings spread out over multiple city blocks. However, smaller hospitals can benefit as well. For example, a hospital might wish to encourage staff to park in a remote lot, to free up closer parking spaces for patients, visitors and other guests.
How Does Providing a Shuttle Service Add Value?
Adding a shuttle service to your hospital’s amenities enhances patient satisfaction, by reducing the amount of walking required to get to their destination. For those with disabilities, offering a shuttle service helps satisfy ADA requirements for accessible parking. As with an exclusive hotel, having a hospital shuttle service demonstrates a high level of personal care and attention. It is a service that goes beyond a hospital’s medical procedures and healthcare providers.
In today’s hospital operations, this is more than just a thoughtful gesture. The HCAHPS survey has made patient satisfaction very important. This nationwide account of patients’ impressions of their hospital care is used to help determine Medicare reimbursement.
The value of a hospital shuttle service extends beyond transporting patients, guests and staff. Hospital buildings can be a confusing maze of separate wings and endless hallways. For those not familiar with the hospital’s layout, a properly trained shuttle bus professional can direct them to their destination.
Attentive and Trained Shuttle Staff
FC Health Hospital Shuttle Bus Services go the extra distance to provide safe, reliable transport to patients, guests, doctors, nurses and employees. This service is provided with the utmost care and consideration. Every driver goes through a rigorous training program to ensure the highest level of driving safety and attentiveness to their passengers. They use the latest technology, including on-board camera systems, to deliver the best possible service. In addition to internal company training, shuttle bus drivers undergo training with your organization — the same training as your own employees. Shuttle bus staff also receive HIPAA and TJC training.
Learn more about FC Health’s hospital shuttle bus services.